Language of the Heart
by Maiden of Memories
Summary: Naminé used to be able to sleep in the silence. Until she heard his heart beat. ::Naminé x Replica::


**Language of the Heart**

She liked the silence to begin with. Every night she would lay on the open, soft white sheets and pretend she was floating on some cloud, outside, away from the Castle she had been locked up in. For those quiet moments she could do that. Trick herself into believing she was free, and safe, so far up that no one could reach her.

That is, until the Replica came along.

It seemed like she'd woven herself too closely to his heart in the chain of his memories, because he simply couldn't live without her. Silence was rarer now. In the day time she would hear his boots clacking against the floor towards her room, or his rich voice filling her ears with tales of a childhood lost. It was nice to have him around, though she still looked forward to her silent nights.

-but they never came.

She jolted straight up when she found him at her beside. Her eyes were wide with fright, hand over the empty space in her chest. In the darkness of her room all she could see was his shadow flooded in moonlight from the window and his blue-green eyes gazing at her with an emotion she couldn't place.

"Naminé…" he trailed off, voice quiet. And yet he held himself surely, gaze never wavering. The girl said nothing, just sighed in relief. For a second there she thought Marluxia had… She shook her head, a slight smile gracing her lips. She wondered why in the worlds the Replica would come to her at this time at night.

"Can I stay with you?" His request was an odd one, his tone not in the least bit suggestive.

At a loss for words, Naminé merely nodded and shuffled over as he slid under the sheets. Though she should have expected this. He had been wanting to spend as much time with her as possible since their 'reunion'. And if she had a heart she would have wept with sheer joy from knowing someone had missed her that much.

It was not even a few seconds before she felt his strong arms envelope her in a sudden warmth, pulling her into him whilst he rested his chin on her fair head. She stiffened at first, feeling odd at being held so close. No one had ever held her before… but of course he wouldn't know that. She stayed completely rigid and alert until she heard the soft easy breaths that indicated he had fallen asleep.

Then slowly… very slowly… she melted into his embrace. Her head rested against his chest and her eyelids grew heavy as she listened to the unwavering lullaby of his heartbeat. A steady sound… as though it were saying something. Repeating it like a mantra. It was such a strong and continuous rhythm that it soothed her to sleep before she could figure out what it was saying.

It was at that moment she knew she'd never be able to sleep in silence again.

- x - x - x -

The Replica returned to her every night, and he slept soundly whilst she listened to his heart beat once more. It was an unspoken custom now. She was always listening, eyes wide and thoughtful as she stared at the ceiling, wondering… and she'd fight sleep as long as she could to try and decipher the words it was echoing over and over again.

One night, she finally sighed to herself whilst listening.

"What is it that you're saying..?" she murmured under her breath.

"What are you doing?"

The girl lifted her face, blinking in surprise at the older boy. She hadn't realized he was still awake. She shifted her position, pulling back.

"I was wondering what your heart was saying…"

The Replica laughed lightly.

"What do you mean?"

A light blush dusted Naminé's cheeks as she tried to explain herself.

"Your heart always makes this one steady sound, like it's saying something. I just can't figure out what it is."

A spark lit the Replica's eyes and a mischievous smile tugged at his lips. He leant forward and kissed her lightly. Then he took her delicate hand in his and placed it over his chest. "Listen," he whispered. The girl felt dizzy as butterflies set off in her stomach. She finally watched as the silver-haired boy mouthed the words his heart had been saying all along.

_"Na-mi-né."_


End file.
